Law and Government

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Trip Update

As May rolls over into June, I a lot of people are asking me if I’ve bought a plane ticket or have an itinerary yet. Nope. I’m waiting for my passport to show up before that happens.

This delay has been really good because it’s given me time to sit and think about a lot of things I just couldn’t focus on before.  I’ve learned that, really, a ticket and final itinerary are the last things I should be thinking about!

So I have not been idle. I will do individual posts about the following items when things are more set, but here’s what I’ve been working on:

  1. Reducing expenses back home while I’m gone;
  2. Finding healthcare coverage (you apparently cannot enter Bulgaria without a proof of health insurance);
  3. Ensuring that I have insurance coverage for home and my personal effects while away (I got a huge surprise that could have been disastrous);
  4. Understanding the Schengen Area rules, something that will really affect my itinerary and could mean not making Bulgaria my first stop, as well as affecting where I will spend my winter;
  5. Planning my packing list and doing a lot of online shopping;
  6. Trying to learn even a smidgen of Bulgarian and at least getting used to the sound of the language (I can say, “Beer, please” and thank you at this point because I have my priorities straight. Next up, “Where’s the bathroom?”);
  7. Making as much money before I go as I can because I’m really starting to dip into my savings! It would be really nice to not feel rushed to “land” when I get across the pond.

Passport Canada says that it takes up to 20 business days for a passport renewal to arrive. Today marked the halfway point. I will hopefully have my passport by June 14th and then plan to leave in the 10 to 14 days following that. I’ll know my passport is on its way when the credit card charge goes through so I’ve been checking my bank account daily!

This is a huge leap I’m about to take and I have to tamp down my enthusiasm and be pragmatic about it otherwise I would be able to focus on work or get a good night’s sleep! But, believe me, I’m excited!

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Insurance Matters

I haven’t updated my insurance coverage since I changed my residency to Saskatchewan in 2013. I’ve just been paying for my Aviva Elite full-timer policy that covers the RV with no consideration for my buildings. Now that I’m leaving for a solid ten months (or even longer!) and I had something happen (attempted break-in), I knew it was time to completely revise my insurance coverage.

Here’s what I sent my broker last week (some things redacted):

I switched my policy to your office around August of 2013 after moving from Alberta.

My circumstances have changed dramatically and I need all new coverage.

The motorhome is now parked permanently on my property and is my residence.

My property now has two outbuildings (14”x16” and 18”x16”) for which I also need coverage for them and their contents.

I need to make sure I am insured for fire service (the town suggests $10,000).

I am not going to be onsite for the next ten months or so as I will be traveling. I don’t have any running water, so no risk of damage from frozen pipes, and I have a neighbour who checks in periodically. I want to make sure I have a modicum of coverage during my absence in case of a fire or a tree falling onto my home or my buildings. I am not the kind of person who would make a claim for something small like a window breaking during a hail storm. I’m really looking for catastrophic coverage, if there is such a thing.

The contents to be insured are worth *** (itemized list). There will be nothing of value left in the motorhome during my absence, but I will have a few things stored with a neighbour.

The broker just called and said she spoke to Aviva before calling me and that… nothing changes. I am covered for all that! I just have to let them know when I’ve come home next year.

I knew that I was covered for stuff in outbuildings, but did not realise that I was covered for the outbuildings themselves, a huge surprise!

However, I do not find the coverage for the buildings adequate, so the broker will ask if it can be increased and for how much. She will also see about travel coverage for my electronics and triple check that I’m covered for rural fire service. She thinks I am because I’m in a proper community with a hydrant almost right at my property line but will confirm.

This phone call was quite a surprise. I’m really pleased that my premiums won’t go up, or much if I have to add a little extra coverage. I’m sure you’re all wondering what my policy is costing me. $64 a month. Really.

Next, since my truck will be in “storage” during my absence, I will contact SGI to see if I can suspend my registration/insurance. That will save me $70 a month while I am overseas!

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I Can Get A Lot Done in a Morning

It was a cold night, just below freezing. I was grateful to be able to turn on my mattress warmer in the wee hours of the morning. Then, around 6:00, my furnace kicked on (thanks to my programmable thermostat) to warm up the rig to an acceptable temperature when I was finally ready to crawl out of my warm cocoon.

This awaited me outside!

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Notice, it’s just in the shade, but I still had snow on the truck when I left for town around nine.

First stop in town was the RCMP detachment to drop off my victim impact statement. Then, I went to a photography studio to have my passport picture taken. Might as well take advantage of my otherwise unnecessary trip into town and get my passport application sent off! I can’t buy a plane ticket until I have my new passport so this needed to be done ASAP.

I had my paperwork all filled out so I was able to go straight from the studio to the post office. $20 for the picture, $22 to XPress post the application to Canada, and something like $160 for a 10-year passport. Thank goodness we have a 10-year option now!!! And the renewal process is so easy. Nice to see one Government of Canada department improving its efficiency. My passport actually doesn’t expire till next March, so I’m kind of “wasting” nearly a year, but with most countries not granting entry unless your passport is good for at least six months beyond your entry, I would have been limited as to where I could go in Europe and forced to come back by March. Brr!

Then, I made a couple of stops. I went to The Bargain! Shop for household things — hand soap, dish soap, and laundry detergent, as well as to check out the clothes. I’m looking for a particular skirt style for my upcoming travels and they get out of season things from good brands, so it’s worth having a peek every now in then to see if they’re carrying any treasures.

I then went to the Salvation Army to do the same thing and also see if they’d brought their prices back down to more reasonable levels. Almost. Not as good as it used to be, but I would shop there again. They had tons of nice handbags and I caved and bought a gorgeous quilted tote with handy pockets in it. I just can’t resist a unique bag…

Next stop was the grocery store, where spent a whopping $20 on produce — a bag of onions, a bunch of bananas, four pink lady apples, two nectarines, a bag of satsumas, and a red pepper that was almost $3. Wow. The store was really chaotic and dusty as they’re laying down the flooring (tiles), with half the produce at one end of the store and the other half on the other side of the store. Most of the meat aisle was inaccessible. I can’t wait for them to be done, especially since I don’t see any real improvements being made. We didn’t need a shiny new store with new coolers. We needed more space…

Finally, I popped into the bakery for a coffee and bun to go because I was feeling a little faint. The bakery’s a little pricy, but it’s a nice treat now and then.

I got in just before twelve. Now, lunch and then I really need to get to work!

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Tuesday Was Memorable

Life at Haven tends to be rather idyllic. But the break-ins over the winter have really changed the atmosphere here, with doors getting locked even when folks are just wandering around the hamlet. My outbuildings are normally unlocked during the day when I’m here, but now I’m getting used to carrying my keys with me. It’s sad.

I awoke to lots of rain on Tuesday, which has turned to sleet today, Wednesday, a perfect day to power through the bit of work on my plate so that I could focus on looking for more today. I was making good inroads when the phone rang just shy of ten. “No number” came up on the display, but I still answered assuming it might be the RCMP calling me back. It was. I spoke to a kind-sounding constable who asked if he could come right down to Haven to take my statement about my attempted break-in. Yes, of course!

About 40 minutes later, the phone rang again. Wow, twice in one day. That has to be a record. It was Scotiabank doing a “courtesy call,” wanting to know how I like my account (a lot), more about my business, and curious about whether I’d consider changing to them as my main bank (not a chance in hell). It was a pleasant conversation and I didn’t mind answering the questions because most of my products are with CIBC right now and it would be good to have a backup. For example, if Scotiabank were to offer me a a credit card, might as well take it. Also, the woman wasn’t trying to sell me anything or convince me to move to Scotiabank. I was about to tell her I had to cut the conversation short as I was expecting a “visitor,” but, thankfully, she kept the call short.

Minutes after I rang off with her, there came a knock at my door. I checked that it was the constable and let him in. I’ve transcribed I don’t know how many statements over the years, so I knew the drill and he noticed that. He offered me victim counseling services (I’m not traumatised, so let’s leave the stretched thin resources to folks who need them) and to provide a victim impact statement. I accepted that because I knew that absolutely nothing was going to happen regarding my own break-in so I wanted something in her file about how she has destroyed the fabric of our community. The constable discovered he didn’t have the form on him but said he would “pick up” my neighbour and when he came back in a few hours to drop her off, he’d bring a form for me. I could then fill out the form and bring it into the detachment next time I was in town. Well, I hadn’t planned to be in town for a bit, so I’ll be doing a special trip for that as soon as the weather clears. Since I’m going through propane for heating, I’ll pretend it’s a propane filling trip not a “my neighbour sucks and is making me waste gas” trip. 🙂

He was back mid-afternoon and said that she denied everything, including stealing a pallet from my property, for which there was an eye witness. Unfortunately, rain destroyed any chance we might have had for fingerprints, which were a long shot anyway since the way the door is damaged makes it look like it was only touched with a tool. There’s no witness. The constable said that he knows she’s lying and that she did it, but he can’t do anything. He seemed incredibly relieved to be dealing with someone who knows the system and wasn’t expecting a miracle. I said to him that what I wanted to accomplish was done — she knows I won’t take her bullshit lying down. Apparently, she broke into some other neighbours’ places and they forgave her since she’s “sick.” Maybe she thought that would happen with me. Not a chance. The constable did say she is willing to take a polygraph, to his immense surprise. That’s not admissible in court, but sometimes the truth can come out in other ways that are admissible. He was surprised that I knew all of that. What can I say, I’ve transcribed the odd polygraph interview too.

I thanked him for his time and then came in to keep working since an unexpected job for Wednesday came in from a client I normally only work on weekends for.

And then, another email came in that really brightened my day.

There is a transcription firm I’ve wanted to work for since I started doing this five years ago. I had a chance to interview for them around that time and was deemed to need more experience. Just before I left Mexico, they emailed to give me a chance to interview again. Just like that, out of the blue. I did the test and then didn’t hear anything back… until yesterday. Soon as I get through my current workload, I’ll start with this new company on a probationary period. Too soon for exclamation marks, but I’m rather chuffed. They are another firm like an existing client of mine who would have as much work for me as I want as long as I meet their standards. I’ve had a run of bad luck with clients this year and I hope the tide is turning. We’ll see how the month goes with them. I’ll feel more comfortable leaving for Bulgaria if I feel I’m solidly in place with them.

The only progress I’ve made on Bulgaria is I’ve set up a price alert for airfare. Soon as I get something around 800CAD all-in (which I saw come up periodically over the winter) at the end of June or sometime in July, I’m buying a ticket. I haven’t decided yet where I want to settle in Bulgaria, but I’m narrowing it down based on the best places in the country to hike. I’ve been reading a lot about hiking in Bulgaria and am getting really excited about getting there!

So that was my Tuesday at Haven. Wednesday is starting off cold and snowy. Pretty strange after landing in summer weather! But things should start clearing up this afternoon and we’ll be back into the 20s by the weekend.

It’s still good to be home. 😀

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Election Day

Canada is having an election today to determine who will form its 42nd government.

In just under 12 hours, the polls will close in BC and the wait for the results will begin. This is the most important election of my life so far and I wonder if any will surpass it. There is so much at stake and so many possible outcomes. The best possible outcome is change, with a categoric New Democrat win that would end our bipartisan system. The worst possible outcome would be status quo, with the Conservatives, headed by Harper, remaining in power.

I’ve always been moderately interested in our politics, keeping a weather eye on what’s going on, and voting either Liberal or NDP depending on how the former has behaved in the previous mandate and who its leader is.

I’ve never voted Conservative and it wasn’t until this election that I’ve been able to articulate just why that party is the antithesis of everything I believe in. This is also the first election where I cannot understand why anyone in good conscience would vote for that party and have not been shy at expressing my disgust at those who do, I who have always believed that, unless you’re voting for a xenophobic national socialist party hell bent on destroying the country while trampling the human rights of part of their populace, to each their own at the polls. Well, certain actions by the Conservative party have made it clear that it also no longer has a place in a free, just, and democratic society.

The list of what Stephen Harper’s government has done to this country is long, disgraceful, and borders on dictatorial. It includes:

-a refusal to fight against climate change

-muzzling of scientists and destruction of knowledge

-turning our peacekeepers into soldiers and abandoning our veterans

-favouring environmentally destructive economic development, such as mining, instead of renewable resources

-supporting Middle East dictators

-refusing to investigate the epidemic of violence against Aboriginal women

-passing the ‘Fair Elections Act’, which has proven to be just another way to corrupt the election process (which is so bad, this election has gotten an international observer!)

-passing Bill C-51, which grants nearly unlimited powers to go after ‘terrorists’

-passing B C-24, which makes Canadians with dual citizenship second class citizens

-promoting xenophobia against Muslims to gain votes

And that is just off the top of my head.

I went to my local candidates’ debate the other night and this really helped me narrow down the root problem with the Conservative philosophy, setting aside all the racism and corruption under Stephen Harper. The NDP, Liberal, and Green party members had a lot to say on a number of topics, showing how they would improve all aspects of Canadian lives. The Conservative candidate was focused on economics only.

And therein lies the crux of my issue with the Conservatives, they are the party for people for whom money is the deciding factor in their life and their only measure of wealth. I think it’s pretty to clear to anyone who’s been reading me for some time that money plays a role in my decision making process, but is in no way the crucial factor. If it was, I’d be in a corner office overlooking Parliament Hill right now.

Yes, money is important. But so is a just and free society with clean water and air. Canada is supposed to be multicultural country rather than a melting pot. That, to me, is what defines us most.

I was eating at a Japanese restaurant yesterday and there was a young Muslim family sitting in the booth in front of me. As they left, the woman, clad in a hijab, caught my gaze as I made silly faces at her precious daughter. Her expression was defiant and I wonder if it would have been such just a few weeks ago, before the stupid debate on the niqab refueled the fires of Muslim xenophobia in this country.

The thing is, I’ve known and been friends with Muslims most of my life. I’ve read the Quran. I know there are as many types of Muslims as their are Christians and that the average Muslim we meet on the street is about as midway on the scale between barely religious and extremist as the average Christian. I am so tired of this Muslim xenophobia and I cannot believe that the outcome of our current election could very well rest on the strength of anti-Muslim sentiment in this country. I feel like we’re living under the George W. Bush Administration and, in fact, The Guardian agrees with me.

I voted last week, in the advanced polls. I have campaigned hard for my party of choice. There is nothing more left for me to do but go to bed early tonight and hope that I wake up in a better world.

I wish I could say I was hopeful, but I’m not.